Best Creative Writing Schools Near Delano, CA (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Delano, California has 4 accredited schools offering creative writing programs, with tuition ranging from $1,334 to $20,095 per year for indexed programs. Delano has a population of about 50,835. Median household income is $61,817 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 8.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area, the top-earning creative writing-related role is English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $132,230 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Creative Writing Schools to Delano

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer creative writing programs near Delano, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Delano city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Delano. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 77.0 miles from Delano
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Antioch University-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA 96.3 miles from Delano
  • 4 year
58.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,541
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, CA 102.8 miles from Delano
  • 4 year
38.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,198
Avg net price $46,080/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA 123.6 miles from Delano
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,939
Avg net price $58,098/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 124.3 miles from Delano
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,379
Avg net price $21,413/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Antioch University-Los Angeles

Culver City, CA 132.6 miles from Delano
  • 4 year
43.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,541
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 132.8 miles from Delano
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 267

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 139.4 miles from Delano
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,950
Avg net price $14,379/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California creative writing page.

Creative Writing Wages Near Delano

Delano is part of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area (BLS area code 12540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$73,600Bakersfield-Delano, CA$72,944
Editor$62,490Bakersfield-Delano, CA$61,933
English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary$132,230Bakersfield-Delano, CA$131,051

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Delano at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population50,835Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$61,817Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+8.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Delano-Area Cities With Creative Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited creative writing schools are near Delano, CA?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering creative writing programs near Delano. The closest is Reedley College in Reedley, CA (58.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Santa Barbara City College (97.1 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying creative writing roles near Delano?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying creative writing-related roles near Delano are: English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary ($132,230), Writer and Author ($73,600), Editor ($62,490). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Wasco instead of Delano?

Wasco, CA is 13.3 miles from Delano and has its own set of local creative writing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Delano an affordable place to study creative writing?

Delano’s median household income of $61,817 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Delano while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Creative Writing Programs

Other Programs Available in Delano

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Delano:

Data verified: September 1, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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